(CNN) – The White House released a statement that made it clear, if Russia were to invade Ukraine, it would be hit with sanctions targeting sectors of Russia's economy.

President Barack Obama significantly lowered the bar for those sanctions Friday, saying that all it would take is Russia interfering in Ukraine's May 25 presidential elections.

But some experts say Russian President Vladimir Putin is already has already cleared that bar.
"He's messing with the elections, I think more fundamentally he's messing with Ukraine as a society, as an economy, and as a political entity," said Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, and former director of policy planning for the State Department.

"I would think that he's already crossed any reasonable line," said Haass.

For more of our interview with CFR's Richard Haass, check out the video above.

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